1. Field of the Invention
In general, this invention relates to bicycle braking systems, and, more specifically, to a bicycle disc brake having an non-continuous spline surface to permit quick connection to or release from a wheel hub.
2. Description of Related Art
Bicycling is a popular form of transportation, recreation, and sport. As such, the bicycle industry continues to improve all sorts of bicycle components, including bicycle braking systems.
Numerous bicycle braking systems are currently available. For example, common bicycle braking systems include pedal brakes, rim brakes, and disc brakes. Riders who seek high performance bicycle braking systems often prefer disc brakes, as they provide high levels of consistency in nearly all types of weather and riding conditions, and they provide substantial braking power in proportion to the amount of braking force that riders need to apply to their brake levers in order to control their brakes. At a high level, bicycle disc brakes generally comprise one or more of the following: i) one or more brake levers secured to a bicycle frame for controlling braking operations; ii) one or more disc brake rotors secured to the wheel hubs of a bicycle; and iii) one or more calipers operatively coupling the one or more brake levers to the one or more disc brake rotors.
Disc brake rotors have been secured to wheel hubs in numerous ways. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, disc brake rotors can be secured to wheel hubs using bolts, including, for example, by using a well-known six-bolt mounting pattern. However, this approach requires tools, which may not always be available or convenient. Alternatively, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,144 to Di Bella and U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,252 to Kanehisa, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, disc brake rotors can also be secured to wheel hubs using locking rings to mate splined portions of the rotors to splined portions of the wheel hubs. Additional locking ring arrangements are also shown in FIGS. 3-4, and FIGS. 4-5 also depict a splined adapter used to secure disc brake rotors having the six-bolt mounting pattern to splined wheel hubs. However, securing disk brake rotors to wheel hubs using locking rings again requires tools, which may not always be available or convenient. In addition, the mating surfaces of locking rings damage easily, which can subsequently prevent their proper installation. Locking rings can also be physically separated from their rotors and wheel hubs, which introduces a further possibility of loss.
As a result of the foregoing deficiencies, there exists a need for improved bicycle disc brakes, particularly ones in which disc brake rotors can be axially connected to and released from wheel hubs without using any bolts, locking rings, tools, or adapters. As such, the present invention addresses these needs, as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, one non-limiting object of the present invention is to provide improved bicycle disc brakes in which disc brake rotors can be axially connected to and released from wheel hubs without using any bolts, locking rings, tools, or adapters. Such an arrangement allows the disc brake rotors to be quickly and easily connected to and released from the wheel hubs.
Another non-limiting object of the present invention is to provide a quick connect/release for a bicycle disc brake that is lightweight, compact in design, and cost effective to manufacture and use. Yet another non-limiting object of the invention is to provide bicycle disk brakes with high braking power and reliability under diverse working conditions. And yet, still another non-limiting object of the invention is to provide bicycle disk brakes that are easy to assemble, disassemble, reassemble, and maintain, as well as ones that can be installed on existing wheel hubs with either little or no modifications thereto. In sum, it is thus a non-limiting object of the present invention to provide a bicycle disc brake having a non-continuous spline surface to permit quick connection to or release from a wheel hub.